Predictive inventory management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location, determining one or more preferred items of the user, identifying, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user, and sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising, by one or more computing devices:
 receiving a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; 
 determining one or more preferred items of the user; 
 identifying, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and 
 sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 sending an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 sending instructions to computing devices of one or more other vehicles of the group of vehicles to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. 
 
     
     
       8. A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
 receive a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; 
 determine one or more preferred items of the user; 
 identify, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and 
 send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 send instructions to computing devices of one or more other vehicles of the group of vehicles to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user. 
 
     
     
       15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors included in one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to:
 receive a ride request from a user computing device associated with a user, wherein the ride request requests a user pick-up at a geographic location; 
 determine one or more preferred items of the user; 
 identify, from a group of vehicles located in the geographic location, a vehicle that comprises an in-vehicle vending apparatus with an inventory that includes one or more of the preferred items of the user; and 
 send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle for traveling to the geographic location for the user pick-up. 
 
     
     
       16. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media  claim 15 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based on purchase-history information of the user. 
     
     
       17. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media  claim 15 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a preference specified by the user. 
     
     
       18. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media  claim 15 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are determined based a destination location specified by the user. 
     
     
       19. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media  claim 15 , wherein the one or more preferred items of the user are predicted based on one or more attributes of the user, the attributes including gender, age group, ethnicity, or income range. 
     
     
       20. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are configured to further cause the one or more processors to:
 send an instruction to a computing device of the vehicle to travel to an inventory hub location for restocking one or more of the preferred items of the user.